EGU2020-21190, updated on 25 Oct 2021
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-21190
EGU General Assembly 2020
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Multidecadal simulation of the tropical and subtropical South Atlantic Ocean with a high resolution ocean model forced by ERA-5 reanalysis data

Martin Schmidt1, Hadi Bordbar1, Fernanda Nascimento1, and Claudia Frauen2
Martin Schmidt et al.
  • 1Leibniz-Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde, D-18119 Rostock, Seestraße 15
  • 2Deutsches Klimarechenzentrum GmbH, Bundesstraße 45a, D-20146 Hamburg

High resolution regional ocean circulation models are needed to investigate regional ecosystem dynamics. However, these models may suffer from biases due to shortcomings in reanalysis datasets like NCEP or ERA-Interin, that have traditionally been used as atmospheric forcing. More realistic results can be achieved by replacing the reanalysed wind with scatterometer based winds. However, inconsistencies between different scatterometers like ASCAT and QuikSCAT introduce new uncertainty, which prevents a discussion of long-term trends in these models. The ERA-5 reanalysis offers a new consistent data set to force highly resolving regional ocean models. Based on such a simulation we analyse trends and anomalies in poleward currents in the Eastern Boundary Current off Southern Africa and Northern Benguela upwelling intensity due to changing wind stress and wind stress curl. Model results are validated with remote sensing as well as shipborne and mooring data. Further, variability of oxygen conditions in the Northern Benguela and the Angola Gyre oxygen minimum zone is discussed. 

How to cite: Schmidt, M., Bordbar, H., Nascimento, F., and Frauen, C.: Multidecadal simulation of the tropical and subtropical South Atlantic Ocean with a high resolution ocean model forced by ERA-5 reanalysis data, EGU General Assembly 2020, Online, 4–8 May 2020, EGU2020-21190, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-21190, 2020.

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